Sturgeon: Independence is key to contribution

INDEPENDENCE is the best way for Scotland to make a positive contribution to the world, Nicola Sturgeon said as she urged the UK Government to recognise the “right” of Scots to make that choice in the wake of Brexit.

She used a speech at the prestigious Stanford University in the US to highlight the global role an independent Scotland could have, stressing it would remain an “open, outward-looking and inclusive” nation that would continue to welcome people from across the globe.

It would also seek to “build partnerships around the world”, including with governments, businesses and universities, she said.

Her address took place a week after MSPs backed her call for talks to take place over a second independence referendum following the UK’s vote to leave the EU – a decision which was not supported by voters in Scotland.

Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted “now is not the time” for another ballot after Scot- land decided by 55 per cent to 45 per cent to stay part of the Union in September 2014.

Ms Sturgeon said the Brexit vote in June 2016 posed a “fundamental question for Scotland”, saying the country now faces an “exit against our will from the largest trading block in the world”.

The alternative to this is independence, with its “opportunities and challenges”, she said, claiming this would give Scotland “the freedom to be an equal partner with the other nations ... countries across the world”.

She said: “Independence, combined with equal partnership, is the best way for us to build a fairer society at home and make a positive contribution to the world.”